Young Rams want conference victories
When Marcus McCullough was hired to become the football coach at Ringgold, his alma mater, for the 2022 season, he knew it was going to take time to get his program going in the right direction.
Time is exactly what McCullough and his staff have been putting in as they are looking to get things turned around this year, as the Rams have won a total of six games over the past five seasons.
A plus, according to McCullough, is the number of young players that have come out for the team this season.
“There is a lot of interest in younger kids, and we have a big class of freshmen coming in,” the man known as “Coach Mac” said as he enters his second year at Ringgold. “We only have nine seniors, and we lost 13 to graduation from last year.
“We have a young team, and while we don’t have a lot of experience at key positions, the kids have been putting the work in.”
The Rams’ roster consists of only nine seniors along with 12 juniors, nine sophomores and 20 freshmen.
McCullough has made some changes to his coaching staff since last year, and the most notable hire is bringing in former Monessen head coach Mikey Blainefield as his defensive coordinator.
When McCullough was an assistant at Monessen two decades ago, he coached Blainefield and he still speaks with passion in his voice when talking about his former player.
“It is like my son is coming home to help me raise my grandkids,” McCullough said with a laugh. “He is a man of his own and I have the ultimate trust in his abilities.”
McCullough said his expectations for the team, and goals, are one in the same.
“We want to win more games than last year, and we want to get a conference win,” he said. “I expect our players to grow each day, each snap and each game.”
Ringgold went 0-6 in the Class 4A Big Seven Conference a year ago and 0-10 overall.
The Rams return three all-conference players from last season in junior wide receiver/cornerback Daryl Tolliver, senior offensive tackle/linebacker Zach Cheplic and junior punter Aidyn Whaley.
Cheplic is moving to linebacker from the defensive line while Whaley, who also plays soccer, will take on more of a prominent role at wide receiver and safety, according to McCullough.
Six other players return who were either starters on offense or played a lot of snaps in each game, including senior Xavier Crenshaw and sophomore Gordon Altemare. They will join Cheplic on the front line.
“Having three players back up front is a big key for us,” McCullough said.
The other returners on offense include senior running back Jamar Bethea, a pair of H-backs in senior Zach Winberg and junior Austin Pehowic and junior wide receiver Szyair Dungee.
McCullough pointed out that three underclassmen are vying for time at quarterback in sophomores Matt Behanna, Ty Anderson and Will Toprani. He hopes to have one win the job by the season opener.
“Matt had some varsity experience last year as a freshman has taken the majority of the snaps this summer,” said McCullough. “Ty has tried out for quarterback this year, and Will is a promising freshman.”
Altemare and Crenshaw return along the defensive line, Winberg and Pehowic will see time at linebacker with Cheplic, and Bethea and Dungee join Tolliver and Whaley in the secondary.
The Rams are again in the Big Seven along with Trinity, Thomas Jefferson, McKeesport, Laurel Highlands, Latrobe, and Connellsville.
“McKeesport and Thomas Jefferson are the top teams on paper,” McCullough said. “Trinity isn’t too far behind as they laid blocks last year and are growing.”
The Rams open the season Friday night when it heads to Elizabeth Forward, which is under first-year head coach John DeMarco.
“John is a great coach and will continue to keep them going in the right direction,” McCullough said. “It is going to be a tough opener for us.”
The Rams’ home opener is Sept. 1 against McGuffey, a non-conference opponent. The conference opener is Sept. 22 at home against Connellsville.